We tend to associate springtime with laminitis, but fall is also a high risk for many horses, writes Eleanor Kellon, VMD. She explains that the major contributor to fall laminitis has nothing to do with pasture and can affect any horse.
The warm days and cold nights of fall contribute to laminitis risk on pasture for horses with metabolic syndrome and high blood insulin.”
Source: American Farriers Journal, August 10, 2026. Link. There is a seasonal rise in the hormones produced by the middle lobe of the pituitary, the proopiomelanocortins, or POMCs. These include endorphins, melanocyte-stimulating hormone, ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) and CLIP (corticotropin-like intermediate peptide). These are the same hormones produced in high levels in horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), commonly known as Cushing’s disease.
INSIGHTS: Consider the topic and article for newsletters and social media posts and for targeted communications to trail ride and youth enthusiast groups.
Image: Link.
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